


Family Ties

by ahappylurker



Category: THE9 (Band), 偶像练习生 | Idol Producer (TV), 青春有你2
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Crushes, Drama, F/F, F/M, Family Secrets, Fluff, Step-siblings, Third Wheels
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-28
Updated: 2021-02-26
Packaged: 2021-03-10 18:01:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 6,886
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28391325
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ahappylurker/pseuds/ahappylurker
Summary: What happens when your high school crush becomes your step-sibling?
Relationships: Cai Xukun/Liu Yuxin, Kong Xue'er/Liu Yuxin
Comments: 5
Kudos: 5





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This work focuses on a relationship between step siblings. If the subject matter makes you uncomfortable, I might suggest you refrain from reading this story.

“It’s Liu Yuxin!”

Kun couldn’t help but pause in his dribbling at the exclamation, turning his head to glance at the short-haired girl who had just entered the gym. Sitting down on one of the bleachers in front of where the cheerleaders were practicing, the girl was, as always, completely oblivious to the admiring looks from the onlookers around her. 

Liu Yuxin was one year older than Kun, a senior in her final year of high school. She was well known in the school for being both smart and talented. Not only was she always top of her class but she was an amazing dancer, having won multiple dance competitions. She led a dance crew called THE9 and Kong Xue’Er, the head cheerleader, happened to be one of the dancers in said crew. It was a habit of Yuxin’s to pick Xue’Er up from her cheerleading practice before they both headed off to a dance practice for THE9 together.

Of course that was the official reason why Yuxin was here.

With a handsome style and a swagger that put many boys to shame, rumours circulated that Yuxin was a lesbian, and that she and Xue’Er were in fact secretly a couple. The two girls weren’t overly affectionate with each other but there was an ease and familiarity with which they interacted with each other that definitely implied a very close relationship.

Case in point: Yuxin was currently giving Xue’Er, who had just finished her practice and was now sitting on the ground next to Yuxin’s feet like an adorable puppy, a hand massage. 

Breaking out of his stupor when his teammate, Fan Chengcheng, called to him, “Kun! Pass the ball to me!” Kun began concentrating again on his basketball practice.

When he looked up again, Yuxin and Xue’Er were gone.

Kun couldn’t help but internally sigh to himself.

After Kun had parted ways with his teammates at the intersection, he wound through the streets of the suburb he was living in to his home.

Unwittingly, his mind went back to Liu Yuxin.

While they weren’t exactly friends, they knew who each other was. Kun had actually known Yuxin for 3 years now, since his freshmen year of high school. He recalled the first day the two of them had met.

_“A-203. A-204. A-205. A-208. What?” Kun stared at the doors then at the timetable in his hand and then at the doors again. “Where’s A-207?”_

_As he stood in the hallway with a helpless look on his face, he heard a low but sweet voice ask, “Do you need any help?”_

_Kun turned to look at the girl who had just spoken to him. Only coming up to his shoulder, the girl had short black hair and was, strangely enough, dressed in the school uniform for boys. Despite the outfit though, Kun couldn’t help but be blown away by the girl’s beauty, finding himself staring at the girl’s limpid eyes, shapely nose, and well-defined lips with something akin to awe._

_“Do you need any help?” the girl repeated when he didn’t say anything._

_Kun snapped himself out of his trance in embarrassment. “Ye-Yes. I’m looking for A-207 but it doesn’t seem to be here?”_

_The girl nodded. “That’s a common problem. A-206 and A-207 are actually around the corner. Here, follow me. I’ll take you there.”_

_As Kun trailed after the girl as she gave him a step-by-step explanation on how to find the two rooms, he couldn’t help but wonder what her name was._

_“We’re here,” the girl said as she stopped in front of A-207._

_“Thank you.”_

_“Is this your first day of class?” The girl asked._

_“Yes,” Kun replied, feeling a little sheepish. “Is it that obvious?”_

_“Maybe just a little. But that’s not a bad thing. We’ve all been there.” The girl smiled gently. “Anyway, I hope you enjoy your time here. Good luck on your first day of class.”_

_“Thank you.”_

_As the girl began walking away, Kun gathered the nerve to yell after her, “Wait!”_

_The girl turned back. “What is it?”_

_“What’s your name?” Kun asked._

_The girl smiled, her eyes crinkling at the corners. “Liu Yuxin.”_

While they had conversed with each other at different school events since then, their relationship never moved past that of acquaintances. Being an upper classman, Yuxin had no classes with Kun. She also appeared very busy – if Kun wasn’t seeing her rush down the hallway to get to some activity, she was having her attention diverted by the gaggle of boys and girls that constantly hung around her.

It was a situation that depressed Kun to no end because he, like many of the other people in the school, had found himself developing quite the crush on Yuxin over the years.

He had observed her long enough to know that she was everything he wanted in a girl. Confident and fierce while dancing, but shy and sweet in daily life; cool and reserved, but kindhearted, thoughtful, and lover of all things cute – Liu Yuxin possessed such duality that she reminded Kun of, well, himself. He desperately wanted the opportunity to get to know her better but could never seem to find the right moment to approach her.

Now that Yuxin would be graduating at the end of the year though, Kun knew that he had very little time left.

Kun sighed out-loud as he entered the key code to his condo. After he had changed into comfortable lounge wear, he saw that there was voicemail on his cell phone.

His mother’s voice carried through the condo when he played the message back.

“KunKun, don’t forget we have dinner with my fiancé and his daughter tonight at 7. I’ll be coming from the airport so I won’t be able to go to the restaurant with you. But I’ve sent Mr. Wang over to pick you up at 6:30pm. Make sure you meet him downstairs!”

Kun’s mother and father had divorced when he was little. Despite haven taken custody of him, his mother, an heiress to a large fortune, was often in Beijing running their family business. As such, Kun lived largely on his own in their condo in Shanghai.

In Beijing, his mother had met a music producer at a charity event. Though the two had dated for about a year, Kun had yet to meet the man who recently proposed to his mother. All he knew about him was that he was widowed and had a daughter who was older than Kun. The daughter was also in Shanghai for school, and his future stepfather and his mother were flying in from Beijing to introduce themselves to each other’s kids.

The dinner would mark the first time all four people would be meeting each other.

Glancing at the wall clock in his living room, Kun saw that he had about an hour before the driver arrived. Heading into his bedroom, he began to get ready to meet his new family.

Kun arrived at the restaurant exactly at 7, dressed neatly in a royal blue button down shirt, black dress pants, and black dress shoes. After the hostess led him to the private room his mother had booked, he sat down next to her with a smile.

“Hello, Mother.”

“Hi KunKun. I missed you. How have you been?”

While other teenagers might have resented having an absentee parent, Kun honestly didn’t mind. He knew his mother was just trying to do what she could to provide him with a good life. It helped that he was naturally independent and, aside from being rather poor at cooking, largely knew how to take care of himself.

“I’m doing well, Mother.”

“You’ve got another basketball game coming up this weekend, don’t you? How’s that going?”

“Good. We’re on track to take the top seed in the intramural semi-finals.” He paused. “If you’re free, you should come watch the games.”

“I’d love to, KunKun. Send the dates to my assistant. She’ll see what she can do.”

“Okay, Mother.”

His mother reached out and stroked his cheek briefly in an affectionate gesture. She then looked up as the door to the private dining room opened, revealing a tall man with broad shoulders. “Oh! Kaiwen, you’re here. Good. Is your daughter with you?”

“She’s right behind me,” Kaiwen replied with a smile. When he stepped aside to let his daughter through, Kun couldn’t stop a small gasp from escaping his lips.

It was Liu Yuxin.


	2. Chapter 2

Kun felt as if God was playing a joke on him.

Just when he had finally been given the opportunity to get to know Liu Yuxin better, it turned out she would soon become his stepsister. What made things worse was, after having had the opportunity to converse with Yuxin over dinner, he realized that she was just as genuine, gentle, and interesting as he had originally thought. Thus, rather than killing his feelings, the dinner only served to re-affirm why he liked Liu Yuxin as much as he did.

What am I going to do? Kun thought to himself as he trudged to basketball practice after classes. I know I should give up on her but I don’t know if I can. She’s perfect…

He was so absorbed in his thoughts that he didn’t hear his name being called repeatedly. It was only when he felt a hand grabbing his elbow that he turned around in surprise. “Who- Liu Yuxin!” he exclaimed when he saw who it was.

“Sorry to surprise you, but I’ve been calling you for awhile now,” Yuxin said.

“N-no, it’s alright,” Kun replied, unable to stop the small stammer in his words. He still felt a little nervous around Yuxin. “What’s up?”

“You have basketball practice today, right?” At Kun’s nod, Yuxin continued, “Do you have some time to chat afterwards? There are some things I want to discuss with you.”

“Yes!” Kun said quickly before flushing a little at how eager he sounded. “I mean, yeah, I have some time. Where do you want to meet?”

“How about we meet by the goldenrain trees in the southwest corner of the school grounds?”

Kun felt his ears heat up further at her suggestion. He wondered if Yuxin was aware that the area was often used by couples for clandestine meetings. “S-sure.”

“Perfect. I’ll see you then.” Yuxin smiled sweetly. “Good luck with practice today.”

Bidding Yuxin goodbye, Kun continued on to basketball practice in a much cheerier mood than before.

The sight that greeted Kun when he approached their meeting location nearly took his breath away. The shedding yellow blossoms from the goldenrain trees above fell around Yuxin’s slim figure softly, making her look like the heroine of a Japanese manga.

And this is the part where the couple confesses to each other, Kun thought. While he knew that wasn’t what Yuxin called him out for, he couldn’t stop his heart from speeding up ever so slightly.

“Did you wait long?” he asked when he reached her.

“No, I just got here myself,” Yuxin replied.

“Good.”

There was an awkward pause as the two gazed at each other under the shade of the trees. Finally, Kun asked, “So, you wanted to speak to me?”

Yuxin seemed to snap out of the trance she had fallen into. “Um. Yes. I wanted to chat with you about the situation we’re in.”

Kun nodded, waiting for her to continue.

“I was thinking that it might be better if we keep what’s happening between ourselves.” When Kun didn’t immediately reply, Yuxin rushed to explain herself, “I mean, this isn’t because I feel ashamed or unhappy about you or anything. It’s just, well…”

“It makes things less complicated?” Kun supplied helpfully.

Yuxin nodded, looking grateful that he understood exactly what she was trying to say. “Un.”

“I agree completely,” Kun said. Considering he still had feelings for Yuxin, the less people knew of their impending family union, the better. He debated briefly with what he wanted to say next before deciding to go for it. “But maybe we can get to know each other better in the meantime?”

When Yuxin looked surprised by his suggestion, it was his turn to quickly clarify, “I mean, it might help make the transition easier when we become…” he trailed off awkwardly, finding that couldn’t bring himself to say the final word out-loud.

Luckily, Yuxin agreed to his suggestion with a smile. “That’s a good idea. Here, take my number.”

As the two exchanged numbers, Kun couldn’t stop the giddy feeling that flooded through his heart.

Over the next few days, Kun and Yuxin exchanged text messages with each other on a regular basis. It turned out Liu Yuxin had quite the quirky sense of humour and Kun often found himself cracking up at some of the memes she sent him.

Kun chuckled to himself as opened Yuxin’s latest message to him which contained a picture of her face superimposed on a fat panda body.

“You seem happy today, KunKun,” his mother said as she sat next to him at the dining table. She was in Shanghai for the weekend.

“Of course I’m happy, Mother,” Kun replied as he turned off the phone and set it on the empty seat next to him. “I get to eat your food today.”

He wasn’t lying. Though his mother was only average in the kitchen, she was so rarely around that Kun appreciated any meal that she did cook for him.

Kun’s mother smiled. “Still haven’t learned to cook yet, I see?”

“No,” Kun replied, as he dug into the celery and beef dish his mother made. “It’s not that I haven’t tried…but something always seems to go wrong.” When his mother looked puzzled, he elaborated, “If it’s not too salty then it’s too bland. If it’s not too burnt then it’s undercooked. I just can’t see to get the hang of it.”

His mother hummed thoughtfully. “Well, it’s a good thing Kaiwen told me Yuxin is a good cook then. Maybe she can teach you.”

Kun’s ears perked up at the mention of his crush’s name. He deliberately tried to keep his tone light as he replied in what he hoped was a casual manner, “Yeah, that’s a good idea. One day, I suppose.”

“It might be sooner than you think,” his mother replied. “I just learned from Kaiwen that the lease on the place he was renting for Yuxin ends in December. Since we’re going to need to find a new condo for the four of us, it just doesn’t make sense for him to extend her lease for only a few months. As such, I suggested she move in to our place once her lease ends.”

Kun choked on his food. When his mother glanced at him in alarm, he waved his hand to reassure her even as he hacked out a lung. Once his fit had ended and he was able to take a sip of water, he croaked out, “Yuxin’s moving in?”

“Yes, next month,” his mother replied. She then paused, a concerned look crossing her face. “Is that alright with you, KunKun? I’m sorry I didn’t think to ask you beforehand but you and Yuxin seemed to get along so well during dinner that I just assumed you would be alright with it.” When Kun didn’t say anything, she said, “Please be honest with me, KunKun. I can always tell Kaiwen that there’s been a change of plans, if you’re uncomfortable with—”

“I’m alright with it,” Kun said quickly, before his mother could change her mind and retract the offer. While one part of him felt intense trepidation at the thought of Yuxin and him living together, another part was extremely excited by the prospect of spending more time with her. “I do like Yuxin. It’ll be nice to have her around.”

His mother still looked worried. “Are you sure?”

“Yes, Mother. Absolutely.”

Her expression melted into one of relief. “Oh good. Wonderful. I have to admit I was hoping you would be alright with it. Given how often Kaiwen and I are both away, it’ll actually make us feel more at ease to know that you are two are in one place, supporting one another and looking after each other. Plus, you two can keep each other company. I’m sure it must get lonely living all on your own.”

“It’s a great idea, Mother,” Kun told her, as he felt a wide smile spread slowly across his face. “I can honestly say that I can’t wait.”


	3. Chapter 3

Yuxin moved in to Kun’s home on the last day of November.

Kun had volunteered to help her pack and move but Yuxin had politely declined, saying that she had things covered. Not wanting to overstep his boundaries, he settled for the next best thing - decorating the living room and the room Yuxin would be occupying. Putting up blue balloons and two silver banners with the word, “Welcome,” scrawled across them in blue font, Kun wanted to make Yuxin feel comfortable in her new home, and with him, as quickly as possible.

He heard the beep of the condo door opening and rushed to the foyer to greet her. Seeing Yuxin enter with a suitcase in her hand, he reached out to take it from her but she shook her head in response. “I’ve got this. Help Xue’Er instead,” she told Kun.

Kun was momentarily taken aback by the response, surprised to hear of Xue’Er’s presence. He didn’t think Yuxin would tell someone from their school about their situation. Looking past Yuxin’s shoulder, he saw said girl appear in the doorway with a big box in her arms. “Hi Xue’Er,” he greeted awkwardly. Outside of some courteous conversation at games and practices, he barely interacted with the head cheerleader. “Let me get that for you.”

“I can do it,” Xue’Er replied.

“Are you sure? I can-”

“I can do it!” Xue’Er repeated, her voice becoming shrill.

Kun stepped back, his palms up in a gesture of surrender. “Okay, I got it.”

Noticing Kun’s discomfort, Yuxin set her suitcase down on the floor and said quickly, “Actually KunKun, I’m going to leave this here. Could you bring it to my room for me? I’ll go down and get the rest of my stuff while you do that.”

Kun nodded, grateful for the distraction and eager to be of some use to the girl he adored. “Of course.”

“Perfect.” She looked over at her companion and gestured to a spot on the ground. “Xue-Jie, put the box down there and let KunKun bring it to my room. We’ll finish faster this way.”

In contrast to how she acted with Kun, Xue’Er followed Yuxin’s orders obediently. As the two girls left the apartment, Kun heard Xue’Er say to Yuxin, “I didn’t know you were close enough to Cai Xukun to call him KunKun.”

Though Yuxin’s reply was too faint for Kun to hear, Xue’Er’s comment made him happy. Lifting Yuxin’s suitcase with a smile, he began his task of transporting her items to her new bedroom. 

A half hour later, Yuxin and Xue’Er were sprawled on the living room couch, with Yuxin sitting in the middle with her legs sprawled haphazardly in front of her and Xue’Er sitting on the left with her body half-draped over the armrest.

Approaching the two exhausted girls, Kun handed them both drinks. “Here, to recover your energy.”

Xue’Er accepted the glass with a soft murmur of thanks. Unlike how she had acted earlier, she was now speaking in a docile, feminine manner.

Yuxin examined the cloudy beverage carefully. “What is this?”

“It’s coconut water. It’ll both hydrate and give you the nutrients you need to replenish your energy.”

Yuxin nodded. “Got it. Thank you, KunKun.” She took a dainty sip before looking up at him with a small grin that made his heart race. “You’re very thoughtful.”

Kun felt his ears turn hot from the compliment. “It’s nothing.”

“It’s not nothing,” Yuxin insisted. “You’re very kind and warmhearted.” She waved a hand at the decorations Kun had prepared for her. “Look at all the trouble you went to putting these up for me. This must have taken you so long to do.”

Kun was sure his face was now as red as his ears. “Honestly, it wasn’t too bad at all.” He paused and then asked hopefully, feeling all the world like a puppy begging for his master’s approval, “Do you like them?”

Yuxin looked amused. “I love them, KunKun. Thank you.”

As the two exchanged warm smiles with each other, Kun drew closer to Yuxin. Just as he was about to sit next to her on the couch, Xue’Er said loudly, “Liu Yuxin, I’m hungry. Do you think we can order some food to eat now?”

Kun stepped back, the moment unfortunately broken. Suppressing his sigh of disappointment, he headed to the kitchen to get some takeout menus for Xue’Er and Yuxin to look at.

Kun was startled when Yuxin caught him in the hallway right after he finished his shower.

“KunKun,” Yuxin began earnestly before she stopped abruptly, her eyes fixed oddly on his neck.

After a few seconds of Yuxin staring, Kun reached up to rub at whatever it was she was looking at. To his puzzlement, all he found was a single bead of water tracking down the side of his neck.

Kun wondered why water would be fascinating to Yuxin. Was it because she thought he was a careless or messy person who couldn’t even dry himself properly? “You were saying, Yuxin?”

Snapping herself out of her trance, Yuxin visibly gulped before clearing her throat. “Um…I was wondering if you would be alright with Xue’Er sleeping over tonight?”

Though Kun was surprised by the request, he did his best not to show it. “Whatever you want, Yuxin,” he replied. “After all, this is your home now too.”

Even as he said that, he couldn’t help but feel a little disappointed. His grand plans of a sweet first day together with Yuxin in their new shared home had already been shattered with Xue’Er’s constant presence. While he didn’t necessarily begrudge the girl for being around them – he actually found Xue’Er quite easy to get along with after he got to know her more – he couldn’t help but wonder why she wasn’t returning to her own home.

As if on cue, Xue’Er joined them in the hallway. “Your make-up is smudging, GuaiGuai,” Xue’Er said as she approached Yuxin and rubbed her index finger under Yuxin’s eye. “You should go fix it.”

Though Yuxin jumped a little at the touch, Kun noticed she didn’t reject it. “It’s late so I’m going to be taking my make-up off soon,” Yuxin replied. “We have school tomorrow so we’ll need to get ready for bed.”

Yuxin’s words made Kun suddenly think of her sleeping arrangements. “Yuxin, I just realized there’s only one bed in your bedroom. There’s a spare cot in my mom’s closet. Do you want me to grab it for you or Xue’Er to use?”

“No need,” Xue’Er said before Yuxin could reply. She hooked her arm around the short-haired girl’s. “Yuxin and I always sleep in the same bed together. We’ll be fine.”

After Xue’Er practically dragged Yuxin away after they all said their good nights, Kun couldn’t help but stare after the two girls, completely dumbfounded by Xue’Er’s last words.

Yuxin and Xue’Er always sleep together? 


	4. Chapter 4

Yuxin seemed to take Kun’s words about this being her new home to heart because Xue’Er stayed with them for the entire school week, only departing on the Friday after school.

“Her parents are back in town,” Yuxin explained to Kun when he asked why Xue’Er had left over dinner that night.

“What do they do?”

“They run a successful import export business so they often need to travel overseas. Xue’Er doesn’t like to be alone in her home so she stays with me during those times.”

Kun smiled softly. This new revelation made him fall for Yuxin more. “That’s very sweet of you to take care of her.”

Yuxin shrugged, looking a little sheepish. “Honestly, I don’t mind. It’s nice to have the company. It can be a little quiet on my own sometimes.”

“Well, you don’t have to worry about that anymore,” Kun replied. When Yuxin looked at him quizzically, he explained, “You now have me.”

Yuxin gawked at him momentarily before she looked down at her food hastily. “Un,” she murmured in agreement, the tips of her ears turning red. “I now have you.”

For some reason Yuxin’s shyness made Kun feel bashful too. He also looked down, scooping some of the Sichuan eggplant dish that Yuxin had made for dinner into his mouth.

The two continued eating quietly until Yuxin said suddenly, “I realized I never thanked you for letting Xue’Er stay with us this whole time. I know you two had never really spoken to each other prior. Did you find it awkward?”

Kun shook his head. “No, it was fine.” He paused and added, “It was better than I thought it would it be.”

And he was being honest. While a part of him did wish for more time alone with Yuxin, having Xue’Er around seemed to acclimate his crush to her new surroundings more quickly.

It’s like going on a big group outing before dating privately, Kun thought. Having the extra people around helps to break the ice.

But wait. Wouldn’t that mean Yuxin and I are on the equivalent of a date right now?

When he flushed at that thought, Yuxin asked in concern, “You’re turning a little bit red, KunKun. Is the food too spicy?”

He shook his head quickly and picked up his glass of water to take a sip, not even realizing that this action seemed to contradict his words. “No, it’s good, it’s good.”

Yuxin didn’t look convinced. “Are you sure?”

“Yes, yes. It’s delicious, Yuxin, honestly.” He decided it best to change the subject. “So, what do you want to do this weekend?”

At first, he was puzzled when Yuxin looked taken aback by his question before he realized what his question implied. Feeling his face heat up again, he opened his mouth to explain himself when Yuxin beat him to it.

“I was just planning to sleep and study this weekend,” she replied. She paused and asked shyly, “Was there…was there something you wanted to do together?”

Kun felt his heart leap in excitement. His mind raced as he tried to think of something he could say that would impress her – a rather difficult feat when he usually spent his weekends sleeping, watching movies alone, eating ice cream, and generally being a lazy bum around his home.

He then had a brilliant idea. “It’s a surprise,” he said slyly. “You’ll find out tomorrow.”

Though Yuxin’s expression remained largely the same, he saw her eyebrows raise in intrigue. “Alright,” she said with a sweet smile. “I’m looking forward to your surprise.”

When Kun called her into the kitchen at around 4pm the next day, Yuxin was surprised to see brown slabs of varying sizes, gumdrops, candy canes, and a piping bag with white icing on the table.

“What is this?” she asked.

“It’s a gingerbread house decorating kit!” Kun said, unable to keep the excitement from his voice. “I picked it up from a specialty food-and-gift store this morning.”

“What’s a gingerbread house?”

“It’s a house that you build using these gingerbread cookies,” he gestured to the brown slabs on the table. “After you build the house, you decorate it with the icing and candies. It’s a traditional winter pastime in North America and a lot of fun. The best thing is you can eat the house after you’re done.”

Yuxin nodded, her face brightening at the thought of food. “Sounds great. Let’s do it!”

As the two began building the house together, they chatted about their lives up until now. Kun told Yuxin about his one-year exchange in America during middle school while Yuxin spoke about her popping training under her dance Master, James.

Unbeknownst to the both of them, the two unconsciously shifted closer to each other as they conversed, their upper arms eventually pressing together in warm familiarity.

“I would love to see you dance sometime,” Kun said, as he carefully piped a little window onto the front façade of their gingerbread house.

“You’re welcome to come visit me at the studio anytime,” Yuxin said as she leaned toward Kun, her face hovering just a few inches above his raised arm, to better observe his work.

“It’s a date,” Kun replied, looking down at Yuxin with a wide smile.

When she looked up to flash a smile at him in return, they realized how close their faces were to each other and jolted back in surprise. Spinning away from each other, they both stared at different parts of the room as an awkward silence filled the room.

The tense atmosphere was broken a few seconds later by Kun’s stomach growling loudly. 

Yuxin burst out laughing.

Kun blushed to the roots of his hair. “I’m- I’m sorry,” he stammered, feeling absolutely mortified. He wished a hole would open up in the ground so that he could jump into it and never come out.

Yuxin shook her head, even as her shoulders shook with mirth. “Don’t apologize, KunKun. There’s nothing to be embarrassed about.” Reigning her laughter in quickly, she placed a gentle hand on his arm to get his attention.

When he finally had the courage to look at her, she smiled reassuringly at him. “I’m hungry too.”

Kun found his self-consciousness melt away at the earnest expression on her pretty face. “Are you really?”

“Yeah, I really am.”

“Then let’s order some takeout.”

After a brief discussion, the two settled on ordering northwestern Chinese food from a nearby restaurant. As they waited for their order to arrive, Yuxin and Kun finished building and decorating their gingerbread house.

Watching Kun as he took photos of their handiwork, Yuxin asked, “Are you going to post this on your Weibo?”

“Yeah,” Kun said. “Are you?”

“I won’t if you are,” Yuxin replied.

“Why not—oh.” Kun stopped abruptly when he understood what she meant.

They couldn’t post the same photos without exposing their relationship to each other.

When Kun realized that this meant they had to hide all their moments away from the world, he was struck with a sudden, unbearable sadness. 

Misinterpreting the reason why Kun looked so crestfallen, Yuxin said quickly, “Don’t worry about it, KunKun. I’m not an active user on Weibo anyway. I really don’t mind.”

“But Yuxin…”

“Honestly, KunKun, it’s alright,” she told him. 

Before Kun could respond, the doorbell rang.

“That must be our takeout!” Yuxin said loudly, visibly grateful for the distraction. She rushed away to answer the door, leaving Kun alone in the kitchen with his lingering feelings of melancholy and disappointment.

His feelings were soon forgotten though when he heard a familiar voice exclaim, “Liu Yuxin?! What are you doing here?”

Rushing to the foyer at the sound, he came up behind Yuxin to see that their delivery boy was someone from their school.

Fan Chengcheng.


	5. Chapter 5

“What are you doing in Kun-ge’s home?” Fan Chengcheng asked again when neither Kun or Yuxin said anything.

At first Kun wondered how ChengCheng knew this was his home before he suddenly recalled inviting some of his teammates over for video games a few months ago. Dammit, he cursed to himself. Of all the things for ChengCheng to remember...

“I…” Yuxin began before turning back to Kun, who was still standing behind her, with a helpless look on her face.

Kun quickly rushed to stand beside the girl in a silent show of support. Feeling his presence, Yuxin looked up at him with a grateful smile that made him want to melt into a puddle of warm goo.

His lovesick emotions must have been written all over his face because ChengCheng’s face suddenly lit up with realization. “I know!” he exclaimed. “You two are dating!”

Both Yuxin and Kun jumped in surprise at the suggestion.

“No!” Yuxin exclaimed, even as the tips of her ears began turning red.

“Yes!” burst out of Kun’s mouth at the same time.

Kun mentally kicked himself when Yuxin turned to stare at him in shock. Why did he say that? Now Yuxin would think he’s some sort of perverted, lying creep.

“I mean, no,” Kun quickly corrected himself, feeling his own ears and face beginning to heat.

“I mean, yes!” Yuxin told ChengCheng at the same time. 

The two turned to look at each other again, the blush deepening on their respective faces. Despite how embarrassed Kun felt, he couldn’t help but feel a little elated by what Yuxin said. Did this mean he had a chance?

ChengCheng glanced back and forth between the two schoolmates who were turning so red they were beginning to resemble freshly cooked lobsters. “Uh…so which is it?” he asked in confusion.

Kun took a deep breath and gathered himself. “We’re not dating.” _Yet_ , he couldn’t help tacking on in his mind. “Yuxin’s just here to help me with something.”

“And what would that be?” ChengCheng asked.

“…” Kun racked his brains for a response. “A school project.”

“But isn’t Yuxin-jie older than you?”

Kun subtly gave ChengCheng the evil eye, wishing he would just be quiet and accept his explanation. “Well, she is but this isn’t a school project. It’s a… It’s a…”

“It’s a project to raise funds for the basketball team!” Yuxin cut in when she saw Kun struggling to think of something. Then, after a moment of thought, she added, “And the cheerleading team.”

“And the dance crews,” Kun said. “They’re important too.”

A look of surprise briefly crossed Yuxin’s face before she nodded with a smile. “And the dance crews,” she affirmed, her tone warm with happiness.

Yuxin’s expression and voice made Kun’s heart thump loudly in his chest. Momentarily dazzled, Kun almost forgot about ChengCheng’s presence until he heard his teammate speak.

“Raise funds? Raise funds for what?”

Seeing Kun caught off-guard, Yuxin cut in, “It’s for a team-building retreat.”

ChengCheng looked confused. “Why?”

Yuxin paused. Then she said lightly, “Why not?”

ChengCheng’s mouth opened and closed. He then nodded, seeming to buy the reason. Kun looked at Yuxin in admiration, impressed by how she was finally able to shut ChengCheng up.

Everything about his crush was blowing him away.

“Anyway,” Yuxin continued, smoothly changing the subject, “I believe you have our order?”

After the unexpected run-in with ChengCheng, the rest of the weekend was uneventful. Kun learned that Yuxin was a homebody like him, and the two spent the rest of the weekend studying, eating delicious food, and watching movies together. Kun and Yuxin also spent a good deal of time chatting about their lives.

Given how little Yuxin spoke during school, Kun couldn’t help but be surprised by what a fantastic conversationalist she was. He found the hours flying by whenever he and Yuxin talked, sparking a deep desire for him to get to know her even more.

It was his sincere hope that Yuxin felt the same.

When the two arrived at school on Monday, separately so as not to raise suspicions, Kun was still flying high on his happiness from the weekend. He was therefore taken by surprise when ChengCheng approached him in the hallway with another member of their basketball team, Zhu Zhengting.

“Bro!” ChengCheng called out loud in his boisterous voice. “Zhengting-ge and I want to help with the fundraising project!”

Fan ChengCheng! Kun yelled in his head, even as he managed an awkward smile. He couldn’t believe ChengCheng had gone around telling people about the fake project. Needless to say, it took all his acting skills to muster enthusiasm as he replied, “Wow, really? But why?”

“Well, ChengCheng told me about the idea and we both think it sounds fantastic. But we’re also worried it’ll be too much work for you and Yuxin-jie,” Zhengting explained. “So we decided to offer you our support.”

“Honestly, it’s not too much work at all.” Mostly because it’s not real, Kun added in his mind. “You guys really don’t have to go to all that trouble,” he continued.

“It’s no trouble at all,” Zhengting said with his signature sweet smile. “We want to help.”

“But…”

Before Kun could finish his sentence, ChengCheng looped an arm around his neck and gave him a playful noogie. “Don’t be so formal with us, Kun-ge. We’re bros! Bros support and help each other out!” ChengCheng said. “So what can we do?”

You can drop the subject, Kun thought in annoyance as he pulled away from his overly eager friend and fixed his messed up hair. Knowing there was no way of changing their minds, he finally seceded with a sigh, “Well in that case, who am I to argue? Let me chat with Yuxin and I’ll get back to you.”

….And that was how Kun found himself in one study room with eight other people a week later.

“To the first meeting of the BCD Dream Team!” ChengCheng declared, pumping a fist in the air.

BCD, standing for Basketball-Cheerleading-Dance, was the name ChengCheng had come up with when they had assembled the group. Though it had been Kun and Yuxin’s (accidental) idea, ChengCheng seemed more excited about the fundraising project than they were. In fact, he had even arrived to the room early so he could draw ridiculous depictions of the group members’ faces on the whiteboard.

“Hear, hear!” Everyone but Kun and Yuxin chorused. Kun pressed his lips together instead and glanced over at Yuxin for her reaction. To his surprise, Yuxin had a small smile on her face, seemingly enjoying herself.

Seeing Yuxin happy had a strange effect of lightening Kun’s mood.

Maybe this won’t be so bad after all, Kun thought. After all, this will allow me to get to know some of Yuxin’s friends.

BCD was made up of three representatives from each group. The basketball reps consisted of ChengCheng, Zhengting, and Kun; the cheerleading reps consisted of Xue’Er and two upper-year girls named Kiki Xu Jiaqi and Anqi; and the dance reps consisted of Yuxin and two upper-year boys called Chen Weiting and Gao Hanyu. Though Kun could only say that he was familiar with ChengCheng, Zhengting, and Xue’Er, it seemed Yuxin was already friends with everyone but Zhengting and ChengCheng.

As the discussion went on, it became clear that Chen Weiting was the de facto leader of the group. The oldest of the bunch, Weiting had a confidence and ambition to him that naturally made people to defer to him.

“So let’s think about some possible events we can hold,” Weiting said. “Any ideas?”

“How about a bake sale?” Zhengting suggested.

“Noooo!” ChengCheng exclaimed. “We all know Kun-ge can’t cook. Do we want to poison people?”

Kun glared. “Fan ChengCheng!”

“How about a maid café?” Hanyu proposed.

“Ewww, no,” Xue’Er replied, her nose scrunched up in disgust. “Don’t be a pervert.”

“I’m not--!”

“How about a prom night?” Kiki cut in before Hanyu could finish his sentence.

“Hm. Not a bad idea, Kiki, but it might cost too much to put on,” Anqi said. “We might not make a profit.”

“We’re all single right now, aren’t we?” Xue’Er pointed out. “What if we held an auction where people can bid on a date with us?”

“What? A dating auction? And you call me the pervert?” Hanyu said in disbelief.

“Hey!”

“What about a photo studio?” ChengCheng suggested.

“Oh, great idea!” Kiki agreed eagerly before she paused. “But we’ll need to rent a backdrop and lighting. That might be expensive...”

“What about a pet washing and grooming service?” Kun said.

Yuxin’s eyes immediately lit up, something Kun noted and filed away in the section of his mind titled ‘All things Yuxin.’ “I like that idea.”

“But how many people actually have pets?” Zhengting wondered.

“What about a make-over service?” Anqi proposed.

“No way. Way too risky,” Kun replied. “What if we end up doing something they don’t like?” 

“I know! A haunted house!” Weiting exclaimed.

“No!” Everyone immediately shouted with varying degrees of horror on their faces.

There was a silence. Finally, Yuxin said slowly, “You know…Christmas is coming. What if we had a Christmas Eve telegram service?”

“What do you mean?” Zhengting asked.

“Like...students can write messages on Christmas cards which we can then deliver to their classrooms. For an extra fee, students can also include an apple with their card.” 

“An apple for Christmas Eve*,” Kun said. “I love it.”

“Yeah, what a great idea, Yuxin,” Kiki added.

“It’ll be low cost too,” Hanyu said in approval. “So we should be able to make a good profit.”

When Weiting saw everyone nod their heads in agreement, he smiled. “Looks like the Christmas telegram service, it is.” He looked over at Yuxin with a warm smile and looped an arm around the girl’s shoulders in a half-hug. “Well done, Yuxin.”

When Yuxin not only didn’t push Weiting away but also looked shy in his hold, Kun felt his heart sink.

Don’t tell him…Yuxin and Weiting have feelings for each other?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> * In Chinese, Christmas Eve is called Ping’An Ye. As Ping’An starts with the same “ping” as the word for Apple (Ping Guo), it’s a tradition for people to give each other apples on Christmas Eve.

**Author's Note:**

> This is a work of fiction and does not in any way, shape, or form represent the real persons being portrayed here. Please exercise discretion when reading.


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